Other News

The US Department of Energy (USDoE) is to work with several energy industry institutes and stakeholders to make biofuels more cost-competitive to gas alternatives. Ernest Moniz, US energy secretary, revealed more than $22 million (€16.5 million) will be made available for investment into new projects, with algae-based production expected to benefit the most. This is because the advanced…
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A record for biodiesel production has been claimed this August by the US state of Iowa. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) believes a combination of ‘a strong federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and reinstatement of the federal biodiesel blenders’ tax credit’ has led to state facilities producing 56.7 million gallons of biodiesel during the second quarter of 2013. The…
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A fire has been reported at a biodiesel plant owned by Green Energy Products in Kansas, US. Firefighters battled through thick black smoke to put out the blaze, said to have originated from a stock of burning corn oil, on 30 July. Local news reports claim 12 people were inside the facility when the fire started, but all escaped without injury. The cause of the fire has not been disclosed, nor the…
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Advanced biofuels development in the US has been awarded millions of dollars in investment by its Department of Energy (DoE). A total of $16.5 million (£12.4 million) is to be split between projects located in Hawaii, California and New Mexico, all centred around the development of sustainable and affordable algae-based biofuels, plus $6 million is going to biomass feedstock supply chain…
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A new collaboration between Malaysia-based Hock Lee Group (HLG) and global bio-tech business Beta Renewables may yield the first commercial-scale biomass ethanol plant in the region. The agreement was announced by Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (AIM) which claims the development is in line with the government’s vision for biomass owners to be involved in downstream activities rather than just…
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Parcel delivery business TNT Express is to trial biofuels within its fleet in the United Arab Emirates. It is working with Lootah Biofuels to help reduce its carbon footprint via locally produced B5 biodiesel made from used cooking oil for Lootah’s commercial vehicles in Dubai. TNT hopes to save 32 tonnes of carbon emissions through this collaboration. ‘This initiative adds to our…
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Construction is set to begin on a long proposed ethanol plant in North Dakota, US this August. The ground is scheduled to be officially broken on the Dakota Spirit AgEnergy plant, back by Minnesota-based Great River Energy, after two years of planning. It is believed the plant will cost around $150 million (€113 million) and will use over 20 million bushels of corn to produce 65 million…
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A man in Texas, US has been jailed for fraud and money laundering in a plot surrounding a non-existent biodiesel plant. Kenneth Paul Lawrence was sentenced to five years for his role in defrauding investors to put money into a biodiesel plant that was never going to be built. He also received a probated 10 year sentence for engaging in organised crime. In a statement the Texas State Securities…
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The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has divulged its final ruling on percentage standards for the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) programme. It requires 16.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels to blended into the overall volume of US fuel supply, a total which makes up 9.7%. The EPA standard breaks down as this: Advanced biofuels – 2.75 billion gallons (1.6%) Biomass-based diesel…
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Two ethanol plants situated close by in Minnesota, US have formed a relationship via a new business deal. Granite Falls Energy has acquired a majority interest in Heron Lake BioEnergy and the facilities will share three management positions between them. The three individuals now stretching their roles over to Heron are Granite CEO and general manager Steve Christensen, risk manager Eric Baukol…
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded biotechnology company Microvi Biotechnologies a grant to develop its breakthrough technology that improves the yield and performance of biobutanol processes. Microvi claims its MicroNiche technology overcomes the toxic and inhibitory effects on butanol producing microorganisms, a ‘major bottleneck in scaling existing biobutanol…
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The Shanghai Food and Drug Safety Authorities has been working with Tongji University to provide city buses with biodiesel in 2014. The partnership conducted a toxic oil recycling programme and will now use swill oil as the basis of fuel for 1,000 buses, despite officials admitting the two processors the city boasts are ‘limited’. Swill oil made headlines for another reason a few…
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Ethanol is set to benefit from a 46% rise in loans to sugarcane mills in Brazil this year. Brazil’s state development bank is expecting to loan BR6 billion ($2.6 billion), which is up from BR4.1 billion in 2011. Artur Yabe Milanez, biofuels manager within the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Economico e Social, says it has been lowering rates on loans for cane mills as demand for ethanol…
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